


So Instead of Sleeping I Wrote About Cooking With Edelgard

by HoroshoujoAi



Series: Slow Moments Between All That Chaos [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cooking, F/F, Fluff, I suppose this takes place before the skip, Romance, Self-Indulgent, what these kids honestly deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 20:28:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20159626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoroshoujoAi/pseuds/HoroshoujoAi
Summary: When I cooked with Edelgard at 3 am I recalled only one line she said, something along the lines of wanting to cook with an axe. That was really cute, so I wrote a little drabble before passing out.





	So Instead of Sleeping I Wrote About Cooking With Edelgard

It’s no secret that the new Professor spent their time in full during the free days they had, Edelgard knew this well. She had seen or heard about the different things the Professor did, watched her run across campus to the cathedral and back to clean the statues, or take some time to fish or plant seeds in the garden. One thing that Edelgard noted, however, was that the Professor always took the time out of her day to greet each and every person she passed in Garreg Mach. And, if Edelgard would allow herself to indulge in these thoughts, always made sure to have a small chat with her, just a few moments longer than any other conversation she would have in passing. Oh, but she knows there were other things the Professor did with other students. She’s seen her in the dining hall with plenty of people, from different houses, sharing a meal, or in the cathedral practicing with the choir.

Again, if Edelgard were to indulge in such thoughts, she’d say she was a tinge jealous that the new Professor would spend so much time with all these students, but she couldn’t - she wouldn’t - let herself be overcome with such a feeling, not for a woman who doesn’t at all belong to her.

“Edelgard.” The voice she’d never mistake for another snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Oh, Professor,” Edelgard smiled, “Enjoying your Sunday?”

Byleth smiled back, a curt smile she’d heard was rare among the other students, but never failed to see it when Byleth spoke to her in private, just like this. “Indeed,” the smile left as quick as it came, and now Byleth was staring at the chalkboard in the classroom, absentmindedly. “Actually, I was hoping you would join me for something.”

“Oh?”

—-

Cooking, of all things.

Of all the things Edelgard could have imagined the Professor asking to accompany her to: perhaps some nice tea, or a meal, or a simple walk around the monastery, she instead gets to partake in one of the activities she wasn’t too versed in. Being of nobility, she would admit, didn’t teach her much about the basics of cooking and tending as much as it did authority or how to hit things really hard, or talk really well.

But one look at the Professor, who was preparing the stove with a glint in her eye, was enough to pause her bout of anxiety. Edelgard cleared her throat, deciding it was the heat of the stove that made her feel as hot as she did. “I must say, I’m not too versed in cooking.” She spoke, knowing her cheeks would betray her composure.

Byleth turned around, her eyes to the window as she chose the words to her response carefuly, as she always did. “That’s fine,” she said, looking back to Edelgard, “I wanted to spend some time with you, is all.”

“Mm… if you say so,” Edelgard nodded, looking to the ingredients Byleth prepared, “Did you buy these at the market?”

Byleth shook her head, “Caught and Harvested myself.” She began chopping away at a vegetable or herb Edelgard could only vaguely recall, “Could you chop those up as well?”

“R-right, of course.”

Edelgard took a knife from the rack - a small knife that was much much lighter than the axe she was so used to carrying, and awkwardly swung at the greens before her.

She could feel Byleth’s concern radiate from beside her, just before she could feel warm hands envelope her own and guide her into chopping the vegetables with more confidence.

She could only hope the blush would not reach her ears.

“I-It would be a lot easier if I could just use my axe to cook.”

“I fear that there’d be less food and more chipped counter in our meal, if that were the case,” Byleth laughed, letting go of Edelgard and returning to her own station, where she began throwing things into the pan before her, “Chop them finely, and with the same confidence you would with your axe.”

With the words taken to heart and the laughter ringing through her head, Edelgard did just as told, her awkward, slow movements slowly steadying with more confidence, “Do you enjoy cooking, Professor?”

Byleth stirred around the food, the sizzle and the smell a warm invitation Edelgard started to look forward to. Without missing a beat, the Professor replied, “It’s a calm process that I knew for certain I could do better than my father.” She smiled, softly, “When things were slow, I’d treat him and me to the recipes he said my mother would make.”

Edelgard found herself smiling fondly at the Professor who seemed to be truly herself, enjoying the slowness of this moment as opposed to the day to day of lectures and instructions she had been thrown into preparing.

It wasn’t long after that Edelgard was finished to the point where she could give the resulting product to the Professor with satisfaction. Byleth, in the same fashion that she would observe the stance and form of her students in training, looked at the chopped vegetables; and Edelgard found herself a little nervous at the quality of her chopped greens, despite knowing this wouldn’t affect her grade.

“Very good, well done, Edelgard.” Byleth smiled again, patting her student’s shoulder before adding the ingredient to the meal, “I’ll finish the rest, we just need to let it cook.”

“But I only chopped three stalks of those leeks...I really didn’t do much.”

“...” Byleth looked to the wooden spoon in her hand before handing it to Edelgard, “Then just stir the contents of this around, I’ll watch so you don’t burn yourself.”

Before Edelgard could say anything, she was promptly moved closer to the pan, finding her position switched with the Professor. “A-are you sure about this?”

“I trust you can do this much, if you can wield that axe of yours with the grace of a dancer.”

“You flatter me too much, Professor…” Edelgard laughed, stirring around the contents and watching them brown in the heat. She kept moving the spoon around as to keep things evenly cooked, much to the Professor’s delight.

“As fast a learner as ever.” Byleth said, putting out the stove and setting the pan on a cloth over the counter.

“Does...will it taste good?”

“Only one way to find out.” Byleth took the wooden spoon from Edelgard before taking a taste of their meal. She smiled in satisfaction, turning to Edelgard, “I applaud you, your first dish is edible.”

“Only with your guidance, Professor.” Edelgard smiled back, “Erm, it would be nice to do this again.”

“Cook?”

“Mm, anything really.” Edelgard looked away, not knowing if she could take whatever face her professor might be making.

“...if that’s what you wish, would you like to share a meal with me?”


End file.
